Russian Starlink analogue fails as none of 16 satellites reaches operational orbit
Russia's attempt to create its own Starlink analogue has failed again, as all 16 satellites in the second batch of the Rassvet satellite constellation failed to reach their planned operational orbit.
Source: Tom's Hardware, citing the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and data from satellite tracker N2YO
Details: The new batch of satellites was launched on 19 July aboard a Soyuz carrier rocket. The spacecraft were supposed to reach an operational altitude of 550 km, but as of 31 August, none had reached the target. Most of the satellites ended up at an altitude of 300-400 km, with some already descending and two expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere soon.
The Kremlin accelerated development of its state satellite network in 2026, when SpaceX and Elon Musk, at Ukraine's request, began blocking the system for users who had not officially registered their terminals in the region.
Russia's Starlink analogue is being developed by private Russian company Bureau 1440, with plans to expand the Rassvet satellite constellation to 900 spacecraft by 2035. In March, the first batch of 16 satellites was launched, of which only 12 reached the planned altitude, while one, designated Object 4, has already fallen out of orbit. The second attempt, as we can see, has failed even more severely. It should also be noted that operating at lower orbits means a shorter service life for satellites, as spacecraft at lower altitudes require more fuel.
According to ISW estimates, Russia will need at least 200-300 fully operational satellites to provide stable round-the-clock connectivity over Ukraine. At present, Rassvet offers two daily connectivity windows in the region, lasting up to 90 minutes each.
Subscribe on Patreon to back our journalism long-term.